New Taipei City denies Chu-tied firm given projects

By Chris Wang / Staff reporter

Tue, Feb 18, 2014 - Page 3

The New Taipei City (新北市) Government yesterday denied the Taiwan Solidarity Union’s (TSU) accusation that New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) had given a company owned by Chu’s father-in-law government projects worth almost NT$1.2 billion (US$40 million) over the past 12 years.

FiberLogic Communications, a technology firm that Kao Yu-jen (高育仁), Chu’s father-in-law, established in 1999, has won 12 government bids, including five limited tenders, totaling NT$1.18 billion between 2001, when Chu served as Taoyuan County commissioner, and last year, the TSU caucus told a press conference yesterday morning.

While Kao does not serve as FiberLogic’s chairman, TSU caucus whip Lai Cheng-chang (賴振昌) said he controls three of the company’s shareholders — Euroc Venture Capital Corp (歐華創投), Twinhead International Corp (倫飛電腦) and Yu-feng Technology (育豐科技).

Kao was replaced by Tsai Mei-li (蔡美麗) as FiberLogic’s chairman after Chu was appointed vice premier in 2009, but Tsai came from an investment company owned by Kao’s wife, Kao-Chang Ming-luan (高張明鸞), Lai added.

TiberLogic had won more than 70 percent of its bids in government projects after Chu became mayor, TSU Legislator Yeh Chin-ling (葉津鈴) said.

Chu has violated the Act on Recusal of Public Servants Due to Conflicts of Interest (公務人員利益衝突迴避法) and the TSU will report the case to the Agency Against Corruption and the Control Yuan, TSU Secretary-General Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉) said.

Lin said the agency stated that Kao Yu-jen and Kao-Chang Ming-luan were not allowed to bid on government projects as second-degree relatives of then-vice premier Chu.

In response to the accusation, the city government said in a press release issued yesterday that FiberLogic had never been granted a government tender and the TSU’s accusation was a political manipulation for the purpose of electioneering.

Lin Chih-chia is mulling entering the New Taipei mayoral election in November.